Anaheim (California): Shuttler HS Prannoy notched up a thrilling three-game win over Parupalli Kashyap in an all-Indian final to clinch the USD 120,000 US Open Grand Prix Gold here, Sunday.
Prannoy, who lost a fair amount of his time to nagging injuries in his career, dished out a gritty performance to defeat Kashyap 21-15, 20-22, 21-12 in the summit clash which lasted an hour and five minutes.
“It was a good match, pretty intense match, a high quality match by both me and Kashyap. I think after losing the second game narrowly, I was calm and patient enough and it worked for me,” Prannoy told the agency.
“In second game, Kashyap was playing better than the first game. He was putting a lot of pressure on net and he was also finishing the lifts that I was producing, that made the whole difference.
“But in the third game, I changed my strategy a bit and I had a good lead. So yeah, overall happy with the tournament. Now I am looking forward to New Zealand Open,” he added.
The duo, who had a 1-1 head-to-head record having played each other at the 2014 German Open last time, engaged in fast-paced rallies and Prannoy more often sealed the rallies with his powerful smashes.
In the first game, Kashyap moved to a 7-1 lead before entering the interval with a sizzling smash on the forehand of Prannoy, who slowly reduced the gap to 9-12 and then turned the tables with five straight points. Kashyap clawed back to level par at 15-15 but Prannoy reeled off six straight points to grab the first game.
The second game had some intense moments as the duo fought fiercely for each point. Kashyap lead 14-9 at one stage but Prannoy drew parity at 15-15. Kashyap continued to exert pressure on his younger colleague and had a 20-18 lead. Prannoy grabbed two points before Kashyap roared back into contest with another superb smash.
In the decider, Prannoy changed his strategy. His deft touch in the lifts and better net strokes earned him points as he zoomed to a 13-7 lead. The 24-year-old continued to move ahead and eventually seal the issue when Kashyap misjudged a shuttle at the baseline.
Cash awards for shuttlers
New Delhi: Badminton Association of India (BAI) president Himanta Biswa Sarma Monday announced cash awards for the US Open Grand Prix Gold winner HS Prannoy and runner-up Parupalli Kashyap for their stellar performance. “It is a great achievement for both the players. This was the second time in the year that two Indian male shuttlers were up against each others in the finals. And it’s just the quality that the sport in the country possess and we could only get better from here. I congratulate both the players on their performance and wish them luck for the upcoming tournaments,” Sarma said.